Wildlife Directory

White-tailed Deer
( Odocoileus virginianus )

A white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) doe is followed by her fawn.
Photo courtesy of Michael Jeffords, Illinois Natural History Survey.

Did you know?

The white-tailed deer is the state mammal of Illinois.

A white-tailed deer can jump 8 feet high or 30 feet in length.

It is illegal to feed deer in Illinois because of concerns about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
(Part 635 of the Illinois Administrative Code).

Description and Identification

The white-tailed deer is the only native species of deer in Illinois, and are readily identified.
They stand three to three and one-half feet tall at the shoulder. Adult males (bucks) weigh 150 to
250 pounds, and adult females (does) weigh 100 to 150 pounds. During the summer the fur of both sexes
is reddish brown to tan, and in winter is grayish-brown. The upper throat, belly, inner rump, and
insides of the legs are white, as is the underside of the tail, thus the name "white-tailed" deer.
Young (fawns) have a reddish coat with white spots that they molt at three to five months of age.
Typically only males grow antlers. Unlike horns, new antlers are grown and shed each year. Antlers
begin growing in early spring and may be shed as early as December. However, deer with good genetics
and proper nutrition may retain their antlers well into March.

Tracks

The heart-shaped tracks of white-tailed deer are easy to identify. There are no other wild animals
that make similar tracks in Illinois. On soft ground the dewclaws may also make a mark. Another sign
that deer are in the area are the presence of deer beds and browse lines. Additionally, bucks will rub
trees and may make scrapes (small patches of disturbed ground that the buck urinates on to mark his
territory).

Droppings

White-tailed deer droppings are easy to identify. Deer leave piles of dark, cylindrical pellets
one-half to over one inch long. The droppings will look similar to those of rabbits, but deer will leave
much larger deposits of droppings.

Habitat

Illinois deer occur in or near wooded areas, particularly those along streams or adjacent to
farmland. Deer frequently forage away from woods, but require wooded areas for survival. Deer are now
found in very developed urban areas of Illinois.

Researchers have reported average home ranges of 0.44 square miles for does living in agricultural
areas of Illinois and 0.17 square miles for does living in forest preserves near Chicago. Bucks tend
to have larger home ranges than does.

Distribution and Abundance

White-tailed deer occur in every county of Illinois. There are more deer in Illinois today than
when the European settlers first arrived. However, Illinois has not always had large deer populations.
By the late 1800s, deer had been nearly exterminated from Illinois. Some small populations remained
in the state and others likely moved in from adjacent states but the deer population remained very
small. Thus a restocking effort was begun in the 1930s. The population grew quickly due to better
habitat (more edge habitat created by humans) and the lack of predators (wolves and cougars had been
extirpated and human hunting was banned). By the late 1950s deer populations in Illinois had grown
large enough to allow a hunting season. The first modern deer hunting season was held in 1957 in 33
counties. Some form of hunting, firearm or archery, now occurs in every county and the annual deer
harvest exceeds 150,000.

The highest densities of deer in Illinois are associated with wooded areas of the watersheds of the
major rivers, especially the Mississippi, Rock, Illinois, and Kaskaskia, and in the Shawnee Hills in
the southern area. The highest urban deer densities in the state occur in urban or suburban natural
areas, remnant open spaces, and forest preserves that prohibit hunting. White-tailed deer are
adaptable and opportunistic animals. They will take up residence in areas with little natural
vegetation, such as intensively farmed regions and suburban municipalities where they feed in
residential areas.

Reproduction

White-tailed deer mate from October through January, with the peak occurring in mid-November.
Gestation is about 7 months, with most fawns born from late May through mid-June. Fawns weigh 4 to 7
pounds and can stand and run within a few hours of birth.

Does often use the same fawning areas they used in previous years. However, sometimes fawns end up
in strange places, such as in window wells or on sunny porch steps. If you find a fawn by itself do
not move it. Fawns less than one month old are unlikely to outrun a predator. Instead, they lie
motionless in tall grass or other cover. Their spotted coat helps them blend into their surrounding,
imitating dappled sun on vegetation. Their lack of scent also helps to protect them from detection by
predators. The doe stays nearby, though not necessarily in sight. She returns to the fawn regularly so
that it can feed. The fawn and doe make sounds and use their sense of smell to help them locate each
other. If the fawn is threatened, the doe will snort and stamp her front feet, and will charge the
predator to drive it away. As the fawn grows and gets stronger, it will begin following the doe as she
forages. Fawns are weaned at 4 to 5 months of age.

Fewer than 25 percent of does breed in their first year. Bucks do not typically breed until their
second year. Deer density and food availability help to determine whether or not young deer will
breed. Adult does that receive adequate nutrition will produce twins, and may have triplets or
quadruplets. Thus, it only takes a few years for deer populations to grow considerably in the absence
of control measures.

Food

Deer are browsers in most of their range. Browsing is nibbling off the tender shoots, twigs, and
leaves of trees and shrubs with the deer's lower front teeth. In Illinois, farm crops and waste grain
can also be an important part of the deer diet. Additionally, deer eat many kinds of vines, grasses,
and clovers. Acorns are a preferred food. In an urban environment, deer may damage plants in vegetable
gardens or landscaping.

Deer are ruminants and have a four-chambered stomach like cows. The first stomach chamber stores
the food. The moistened food then returns to the mouth for further chewing, a process known as chewing
the cud. The cud is then swallowed and is digested in the other stomach chambers.

Behavior

Deer are often found together. Family groups include an adult doe, her fawn(s), and her female
young from the previous year (matriarchy). Bucks do not typically associate with the does except
during the breeding season. Bucks may group together in small bachelor herds. Large numbers of deer
may be seen together at prime food sources, particularly during late winter when food can be in short
supply.

Deer become active at dusk when they leave their beds to go out and feed. They may rest during the
night and forage again near dawn, or they may continue feeding throughout the night. During the winter
they may need to feed during the day to find enough food.

Longevity

A study conducted in central and northern Illinois reported average life spans of 5.5 years for
does and 2.5 years for bucks. The oldest doe in the study was 18 years of age and the oldest buck was
9 years of age.

Damage Prevention and Control Measures

Deer can cause damage by browsing trees, shrubs, or other plants. Bucks may also damage
woody plants by rubbing their antlers on them. Deer are generalists and will eat a tremendous
variety of plants. If food is abundant they will feed heavily on plants they particularly like.
If food is scarce they will feed on almost any plant.

Habitat Modification

If adding ornamental plantings to your yard, select plant species that are less susceptible to deer browsing. The Morton Arboretum has produced a list of plants that deer tend to avoid. Some of the plants that seem to be less susceptible to deer include ornamental alliums
(Allium), daffodils (Narcissus), and wild ginger (Asarum canadense). Also
try planting thorny, prickly, or smelly plants. However, this approach does not always work. For
example, deer will eat the buds, blooms, and smaller stems of ornamental tea roses. They also eat
raspberries, blackberries, and poison ivy. Plant boxwood or short-needle spruces instead of yews or
arborvitae. Illinois natives such as black-eyed susan and foxglove do not seem to be preferred by
deer. For a more complete list of perennials that are deer-resistant, visit the
Gardening with Perennials website.
Pachysandra is a good ground cover, and ferns fair better than hostas. Deer love apples and cherries,
so you may have to use tree protectors or fences to protect your fruit trees. If food is scarce due to
a severe winter, or if the population of deer in your area is high, the deer may eat plants they do
not normally prefer and usually leave alone. A deer will eat just about any plant if it is hungry
enough.

Exclusion

White-tailed deer are excellent jumpers. In order to keep deer off of your property a fence will
need to be at least eight feet tall. Electric fences can help minimize deer damage. They can provide a
less costly alternative and can be erected seasonally prior to predicted deer damage. There are a
number of possible fence designs depending on the size of the area to be protected and the population
of deer in the area. Specific fence designs can be obtained from your District Wildlife Biologist. For
more information about deer fences, visit the
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage
Management.

Individual trees or plants can be protected by placing a five foot tall wire cylinder around
the plant. Tree protectors such as Vexar, Tubex, plastic tree wrap, or woven wire cylinders can
all help protect new plantings. Placing netting over bushes or other plants can also be used
temporarily on a seasonal basis to deter deer.

Repellents

There are several products approved for use in deer damage control. Repellents will reduce the
damage that deer cause to vegetation but will not eliminate it. The repellant's effectiveness depends
upon local deer density, the availability of other foods, the palatability of the plants being
protected, and the regularity with which the repellent is used. Repellents may prevent deer from
eating the plant, but they will not deter damage caused by antler-rubbing.

Repellents can be expensive and must be reapplied as the plant grows and after heavy precipitation
events. Always read and follow label instructions of the product. Some repellents are not for use on
plants intended for human consumption. Below are some commonly available repellents. To be most
effective, it is best to start using repellents before damage begins. Researchers have found the
following products to be effective at reducing deer damage.

Deer Away® Big Game Repellent (powder or spray) The active ingredient in
these product is putrescent whole egg solids.

Deer Away® Deer and Rabbit repellent (Get Away Deer and Rabbit Repellent)
The active ingredient in this product is capsaicin and isothiocyanate.

Plantskydd™ The active ingredient in this product is edible animal
protein.

Bye Deer® Sachets The active ingredient in this product is sodium salts
of mixed fatty acids. To be fully effective, this product should be placed at the top of the plant
so that rainwater that dissolves the product will fall onto plant surfaces.

Deerbuster's™ Sachet The active ingredient in this product is meat meal
and red pepper. To be fully effective, this product should be placed at the top of the plant so
that rainwater that dissolves the product will fall onto plant surfaces.

Hinder® The active ingredient in this product is ammonium soaps of higher
fatty acids. This product is the only product approved for direct application to plants intended
for consumption. However, this product was not as effective in trials as the products listed
above.

Home Remedies

Home remedies are not generally effective, but do work in some cases. Some people have had success
in deterring deer browse by hanging bars of deodorant soap or bags of human hair around valuable
plants. While bars of soap can be effective, the protection they offer extends only about three feet
around the bar. Human hair, blood meal, and bone meal all weather very quickly and lose their
effectiveness.

Public Health Concerns

Deer in Illinois are subject to a number of diseases but only a few have public health
implications. Deer-vehicle collisions are a significant danger.

Diseases That Affect Humans

Lyme Disease

Deer are an important link in the life-cycle of the black-legged tick (Ixodes
scapularis) (also known as the deer tick). Deer serve as hosts for the adult stage of the tick.
Black-legged ticks can be carriers of a bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi)
which causes Lyme disease. Humans can become infected when bitten by a tick that carries the bacterium.
Deer do not transmit the disease, but coming into contact with deer can increase the risk of exposure
to ticks. Lyme Disease can be treated with antibiotics if caught early. For more information about Lyme
Disease please visit:

Diseases That Affect Deer

Note: These diseases are not known to be transmittable to humans.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

This disease was first found in Illinois in 2002 in Winnebago County. Since then it has been
located in deer in several northern Illinois counties. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources
provides a map of CWD-positive deer.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease, and poses a serious threat to deer populations in areas where it
occurs. Studies to date have found no evidence that humans can contract CWD from contact with deer or
from eating venison (muscle). It is recommended that the brain and spinal cord not be eaten, and that
contact with spinal fluid be avoided. For more information about CWD please visit:

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)

This disease likely occurs every year in Illinois. The last major outbreak was in 1998. EHD is
caused by a virus spread by biting midges or gnats. The disease is often fatal and causes fever and
severe internal bleeding. The impact on deer populations is not predictable because outbreaks depend
upon weather conditions that influence the size of the midge population. For more information about
EHD, please read this
article from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Ecological Role

White-tailed deer are the largest native herbivore in Illinois and are an integral part of the
Illinois landscape. However, when they are present in large numbers they can damage or destroy the
understory of a forest and can suppress populations of rare native plants. It is not uncommon to see
deer browse lines in natural areas or along fence rows in Illinois. Coyotes and bobcats probably prey
on very young fawns, but white-tailed deer in Illinois have few remaining natural predators.
Therefore, hunting is an important tool to help control deer numbers. As deer populations have
increased, citizens have become more concerned about damage to agricultural crops, deer-vehicle
collisions, and damage to native ecosystems.

Legal Status

In Illinois, white-tailed deer are protected under the Wildlife Code as a Game species. Deer can be
legally hunted in Illinois during set seasons in the fall and winter. Deer hunting regulations can be
found in the Hunting and Trapping Digest on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
website.

It is illegal to take live deer from the wild unless you are a wildlife rehabilitator who is
licensed by the IDNR or you have received a permit from the IDNR.

White-tailed deer killed/injured as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle may be legally possessed by an individual if the following criteria are met:

The driver of a motor vehicle involved in a vehicle-deer collision has priority in possessing a deer. If the driver does not take possession of the deer before leaving the collision scene, any citizen of Illinois who is not delinquent in child support may possess and transport the deer.

There is no limit to the number of deer that may be possessed under these circumstances.

Individuals who claim a deer killed in a vehicle collision shall report the possession of the road-kill deer to the Department of Natural Resources within 24 hours via the IDNR website at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/law3/images/Road_kill.pdf or report the possession of the road-kill deer by telephoning (217)782-6431 no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day.

Except for any law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties, it shall be illegal to kill a deer crippled by a collision with a motor vehicle.

No part of a vehicle-killed deer can be bartered or sold.

The State of Illinois is absolved of any and all liability associated with the handling or utilization of vehicle-killed deer. This does not, however, relieve involved parties from reporting other liabilities to appropriate agencies as required.